England's best chance came in the 86th minute. From a cross on the right wing, Nico O’Reilly jumped high to head the ball against the crossbar, sending it to Kane's position. The English striker rushed in and hit a one-touch left-footed shot over the bar from less than 5 meters away, despite being unmarked.

"99 times out of 100, he would score a goal like that", Tuchel said after the match at Gillette Stadium in Boston, US, on 23/6.

Kane shoots close-range over the bar during England's 0-0 draw with Ghana in the second match of Group L of the 2026 World Cup at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Boston, US, on 23/6/2026. Photo: AP

Kane is a great hope for England at the 2026 World Cup. In their opening match, he scored a brace, helping the team beat Croatia 4-2. This achievement equaled legendary Gary Lineker's record of 10 goals for the "Three Lions" in World Cups. Kane also became the second English player to score in three World Cups (2018, 2022, 2026), after David Beckham (1998, 2002, 2006).

However, against Ghana, Kane and his teammates faced many difficulties as their opponent deployed a tight defensive style. Throughout the match, England had 19 shots, but only three were on target. "First and foremost, great respect must be given to Ghana", Tuchel remarked. "They defended with determination, were very disciplined, and put on one of the most robust defensive performances I have ever seen".

The 51-year-old coach acknowledged that fans might be disappointed when the team could not replicate the fluid attacking play seen in the win against Croatia, but he hopes they do not lose faith. In this match, England controlled possession with 78,8% - the highest statistic in World Cup history (since 1966) for a team that did not score.

"If a team tries to play football against a deep defensive block without finding space, creating chances becomes difficult to watch. We always want to entertain our fans, but today it was not easy. I hope they do not lose faith; the journey is still long", Tuchel added.

According to Tuchel, England actually had enough chances from set pieces to decide the match but lacked sharpness in finishing. The former coach of Chelsea and PSG also affirmed England's high counter-pressing ability and believes the team gained more positives than negatives from this draw. "I know it was not very pretty, but our reaction when losing the ball was very good. We tried to intensify our attack in the second half but could not break through", Tuchel said.

The German coach later analyzed that the current competition system, with many teams and many matches, forces national teams to choose a pragmatic approach. He asserted that he has ideas to help England improve their central attacking capabilities but does not want to reveal them to avoid being figured out.

In the final group stage match, England will face Panama at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, at 4h on 28/6 Hanoi time.

Hong Duy (according to Reuters, Sky Sports)